Auxiliary step for car-platforms.



J. R. KUNZELMAN.

AUXILIARY STEP FOR CAR PLATFORMS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.17,1913.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

172721922307" (7 122 2?. %0yeZma/?z Y J. R. KUNZELMAN. AUXILIARY STEP FOR GAR PLATFORMS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.17,1913.

1,089,481. Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNTTETT STATES JOHN R. KUNZELMAN, F DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

AUXILIARY STEP FOR GAR-PLATFORMS.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914:-

Application filed September 17,1913. Serial No. 790,213.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN R. KUNZEL- 'M'AN, a citizen of the'United States, residing ,at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AuxiliarySte'ps for Car-Platforms; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an auxiliary, step for car platforms and, to this end, it consists of the novel eevices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters in dieate like parts throughout the several news.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in transverse vertical section, taken through the car body on the line 00 m of Fig. 3, showing the auxiliary step in an operative position; Fig. 2 is a view corresponding to Fig. l, but showing 'the auxiliary step in a foldedposition; Fig. is a view in side elcva tion of a car body and vestibule, having my invention applied thereto, some parts being broken away and some of the exposed parts being shown in section; Fig. 4 is a transverse section, taken on the line :0 m of Fig. 3; and Fig. is a transverse vertical section, taken on the line of of Fig. 2.

The numeral 1 indicates a car body having, at one end, a vestibule 2 with the customary stationary main steps 3 secured between side walls 4t and leading to the platform 5. A trap door (3 is hinged to the platform 5 at 7 and, when closed, covers the main steps 3 and forms an extension of the platform 5. Spring latches 8 and 9, respectively, hold the trap door 6 in open and closed positions. The customary horizontally swinging door 10 is hinged at 11 to the vestibuleQ. When the trap door 6 is open, the vestibule door 10 may be swung into an open position against the rear wall of the vestibule 2 over the main steps 3 and,

'when the trap door 6 is closed, it holds the vestibule door 10 in a closed position.

As is well known, the lowermost car step is usually located so high bed that it is practically impossible to step upon the same without the use of a stool, unless an elevated platform is provided at the station. To do entirely away with the removable stepping stools, I provide an auxiliary step mounted for simultaneous receding and lowering movements from an inoperative position to an operative position and vice versa. The auxiliary step comprises a tread 12, having vertically extending end and back flanges 18 and 14, respectively, and a riser 15 in the form of a pair of parallel supporting links. The upper ends of these supporting links 15 are pivot-ally secured at 16 to the vertical webs of horizontally extended Z-shape brackets 17 bolted to the lower horizontal edges of the side walls 4, directly under the lowermost tread of the steps 3. The upper ends of the supporting links 15 are formed with stop shoulders f8 engageable with the upper horizontal flanges of the brackets 17, tolimit the unfolding movements of the supporting links 15. The lower ends of the supporting links 15 are pivotally secured at 19 to the end flanges 13 of the auxiliary step and are engaged by fixed stops 20 on the auxiliary step to limit the unfolding movement thereof and to prevent the same from tipping when the same is stepped upon.

A pair of upwardly buckling toggle levers 21 is provided for moving the auxiliary step above the road to and from operative positions. These toggle levers 21 also hold the auxiliary step locked in an operative position. The free ends of the lower arms of the toggle levers 21 are pivotally secured to a pair of opposite, horizontally projecting trunnions 22 secured, by rivets, to the bottom of the tread 12 and extend outward of the flanges 13, at right angles thereto. The free ends of the upper arms of the toggle lever 21 are rigidly secured to the squared outer ends of a horizontally projecting rock shaft 23 journaled in sleeve-like bearings 24 passed transversely through the side walls 4, directly be low the upper tread of the main steps 3.

Mounted on the rock shaft 23 is a coiled spring 25 anchored, at one end, to one of the bearings 2a and, at the other end, to a crank arm 26 keyed to the rock shaft 23. This coiled spring 25 tends to rotate the rock shaft 23 in a direction to straighten the toggle levers 21 and thereby keep the auxiliary step in an operative position.

An operating lever 27 is provided for controlling the toggle levers 21. This lever 27 extends through a transverse opening in the inner side wall 4 and is intermediately pivoted at 28 to a flanged rectangular bearing 29 secured to the inner face of said side wall and extending through said opening. The lower or short end of the lever 27 is connected to the upper end of a vertically extended link 30 by a universal joint 31, and the lower end of the link 30 is pivotally secured at 32 to the upper arm of the adjacent toggle lever 21. At its upper or long end, the operating lever 27 is connected to the trap door 6 for pivotal and sliding movement by a pin 33 extended transversely therethrough and having its ends mounted, for pivotal and sliding movements, in longitudinally extended slots 34 formed in a recessed bearing 35 on the under side of the trap door 6.

From the foregoing description, it is clear that, when the trap door 6 is opened, the buckled toggle levers 21 are straightened under the action of the spring 25, spring hinge 36, and the Weight of the auxiliary step, thereby moving said auxiliary step from an inoperative to an operative position. By a closing movement of the trap door 6, the toggle levers 21 are buckled by the operating lever 27 and the auxiliary step is moved. from an operative to an inoperative position.

To permit the trap door 6 to be opened and closed independent of the auxiliary step, the long end of the operating rod 27 is provided with a spring hinge joint 36, adapted to fold in one direction and located close to the pivotal connection 28 of said operating lever. 'When it is desired to open the trap door 6 and not lower the auxiliary step, the said step is locked in an inoperative or folded position by a vertically extended lock rod 37, mounted for oscillatory movement in bearings 38 secured to the car body 1 and the inner side wall l. The upper end of the lock rod 37 terminates in a hand piece 39, by which it may be oscillated, and the lower end thereof is bent laterally to aii'ord a hook 40 arranged to be turned under the short end of the operating lever 27, to thereby lock the same in a raised position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, and to hold the toggle levers 21 buckled. In this position of the parts,

the trap door 6 is free to be opened and action,

closed, at will, and the lever 27 will bend at its hinge joint 36 to permit opening and closing movements of said trap door without affecting any of the connected parts.

To insure simultaneous folding movements of the tread 12 and riser 15, during the buckling of the toggle levers 21, stops 41 are provided for cooperation with said toggle levers. These stops 41 are integrally formed with the brackets 17 and are arranged to permit the lower longitudinal edges of the lower arms of the toggle levers 21 to rock and slide thereon. During the initial folding movement of the auxiliary step, the stops e1 cause the tread 12 and riser 15 to fold simultaneously instead of swinging, as an entirety, on the pivotal connections 16. When the auxiliary step is in an inoperative position, the tread 12 and supporting links 15 are folded in compact form between the brackets 17 as shown in Fig. 2.

When the auxiliary step is used on cars without vestibules, a hand lever may be substituted for the operating lever 27, in which case said hand lever would be arranged to work close to one of the risers of the steps 3 and suitable latches would be provided for holding said lever locked in either of its extreme positions.

What I claim is 1. The combination with a car, of a tread and riser pivotally connected one to the other and to said car, for toggle-like folding action, a toggle lever for moving said tread to and from operative positions, an operative lever connected to one of the arms of said toggle lever, and a stop operative on the other arm of said toggle lever, for guiding the same during their buckling action.

2. The combination with a car, of a tread and riser pivotally connected one to the other and to said car, for toggle-like folding action, a toggle lever for moving said tread to and from operative positions, an operating lever connected to one of the arms of said toggle lever, and stops for limiting the unfolding movements of said tread and riser.

3. The combination with a car, of a tread and riser pivotally connected one to the other and to said car, for toggle-like folding action, a toggle lever for moving said tread to and from operative positions, an operat ing lever connected to one of the arms of said toggle lever, a stop operative on the other arm of said toggle lever, for guiding the same during their buckling action, and stops for limiting the unfolding movements of said tread and riser.

4*. The combination with a car, of a tread and riser pivotally connected one to the other and to said car, for toggle-like folding a toggle lever for moving said tread to and from operative positions, an operating lever connected to one of the arms of said toggle lever, a stop operative on the other arm. of said toggle lever, for guiding the same during their buckling action, stops for limiting the unfolding movements of said tread and riser, and a spring tending to straighten said toggle lever.

5. The combination with a car vestibule, main steps leading to the platform thereof and a trap door hinged to said platform and covering said steps, of an auxiliary step comprising a tread and riser pivotally connected one to the other and to said main steps, for toggle-like folding movements, stops limiting the unfolding movements of said tread and riser, an upwardly buckling toggle lever having its upper arm pivotally connected to said main steps and its lower arm to said tread, and an operating lever connected to the upper arm of said toggle lever and actuated by the opening and closing movements of said trap door.

6. The combination with a car vestibule, main steps leading to the platform thereof and a trap door hinged to said platform and covering said steps, of an auxiliary step comprising a tread and riser pivotally connected one to the other and to said main steps, for toggle-like folding movements, stops limiting the unfolding movements of said tread and riser, an upwardly buckling toggle lever having its upper arm pivotally connected to said main steps and its lower arm to said tread, an operating lever connected to the upper arm of said toggle lever and actuated by the opening and closing movements of said trap door, and a stop operative on the lower arm of said toggle lever, for guiding the same during the buckling action of said toggle lever.

7. The combination with a car vestibule, main steps leading to the platform thereof and a trap door hinged to said platform and covering said steps, of an auxiliary step comprising a tread and riser pivotally connected one to the other and to said main steps, for toggle-like folding movement,

stops limiting the unfolding movements of said tread and riser, an upwardly buckling toggle lever having its upper arm pivotally connected to said main steps and its lower arm to said tread, an operating lever intermediately fulcrumed, a link connecting one end of said operating lever to the upper arm of said toggle lever, and the other end of said operating lever being connected to said trap door, for pivotal sliding movement thereon, and a stop operative on the lower arm of said toggle lever, for guiding the same during their buckling action.

8. The combination with a car vestibule, main steps leading to the platform thereof and a'trap, door hinged to said platform and covering said steps, of an auxiliary step comprising a tread and riser connected one to the other and to said main steps, for 'toggle-like folding movement, stops limiting the unfolding movements of said tread and riser, a rock shaft journaled on said main steps, a pair of upwardly buckling. toggle levers having their upper arms rigidly connected to said rock shaft and their lower arms pivotally connected to said tread, an operating lever intermediately fulcrumed, a link connecting one end of said operating lever to the upper arm of one of said toggle levers, and the other end of said operating lever being connected to said trap door, for pivotal sliding movement thereon, and stops operative on the lower arms of said toggle levers, for guiding the same during their buckling action.

9. The combination with a car vestibule, main steps leading to the platform thereof and a trap door hinged to said platform and covering said steps, of an auxiliary step comprising a tread and riser pivotally connected one to the other and to said main steps, for toggle-like folding movement, stops limiting the unfolding movements of said tread and riser, a rock shaft journaled on said main steps, a pair of upwardly buckling toggle levers having their upper arms rigidly connected to said rock shaft and their lower arms pivotally connected to said tread, an operating lever ii'itermediately fulcrumed, a link connecting one end of said operating lever to the upper arm of one of said toggle levers, and the other end of said operating lever being connected to said trap door, for pivotal sliding movement thereon, stops operative on the lower arms of said toggle levers, for guiding the same during their buckling action, and a spring tending to rotate said rock shaft in a direction to straighten said toggle levers.

10. The combination with a car vestibule, main steps leading to the platform thereof and a trap door hinged to said platform and covering said steps, of an auxiliary step mounted for raising and lowering movements, to and from an operative position, means operated by the closing movement of said trap door for moving said auxiliary step from an operative to an inoperative position, means for locking said auxil iary step in an inoperative position, and a) connection in said auxiliary step raising means permitting said trap door to be raised and lowered when said auxiliary step is locked in an inoperative position.

11, The combination with a car vestibule, main steps leading to the platform thereof and a trap door hinged to said platform pivotally v v and covering said steps, of an auxiliary step I inoperative position, thereby permitting 10 mounted for complex vertical and lateral said trap door to be opened and closed by movements to and from an operative position, 1 the bending of said lever at its hinge joint.

means operated by the closing movement of In testimony whereof I atlix my signature said trap door and including a lever having in presence of two Witnesses.

a hinge joint, adapted to fold in one direc- 5 JOHN R. KUNZELMAN. tion, for moving said auxiliary step from itnesses: an operative to an inoperative position, and i GEO. S. MALESKI,

means for locking said auxiliary step in an EMIL A. RUF. 

